Is it legal to take a helicopter and land it in a parking lot like at walmart or something?

Yes and no…

As far as the FAA is concerned, it is not illegal to land in a public place as long as it is done safely. The FAA states that a pilot must operate the aircraft “without hazard to persons or property on the surface.” The also states “No person may operate an aircraft in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another.”

The other thing a pilot has to look at are the state and local regulations. Some cities or counties may have laws restricting the use of aircraft. The property owner may not be okay with it either, so you would want to get permission from them as well.

Now, picture yourself landing in a parking lot: Are there people around? Is there anything that may be sent flying from the down wash that could injure anybody or cause damage to structures or vehicles? If the helicopter had some sort of sudden mechanical failure could you avoid hurting anyone during your emergency landing? These are all things a helicopter pilot would have to take in to consideration.

Chances are, you could land somewhere and nobody would ever say a thing. BUT, the first time somebody complains to the FAA or the rotor down wash picks up a rock and flings it through a car window… you will be investigated and probably fined for “reckless” operation. Because as the pilot in command of that aircraft, anything that goes wrong during that flight is your responsibility.

It may or may not be legal in some places. You can land a helicopter anywhere once, then you will find out if it is legal. Some local ordinances prevent you from landing where you want, and zoning ordinances also can be a pain. Probably the most that they could do is charge you with trespassing. All I can tell you is call your local Wal-Mart. Only they can advise if it is allowed. One more thing, you can land anywhere in an emergency, even if it is against the law.

A while back I saw a chopper in the parking lot of our local WalMart. Later I saw the same chopper in the field next door to a Holiday Inn. So, the answer is YES if you can land without hitting anything.

Yes, taking anything without consent is stealing. But if you own the helicopter (or lease it). You need to get various authorities to fly it in to a car park of Walmart etc.

In the US, it's not illegal under Federal law, which governs aircraft operations, although they could get you under the prohibition of "careless or reckless operation". The state or town may or may not have local regulations prohibiting landing of aircraft. Beyond that, it's up to the property owner... it could be considered as trespassing; you would need permission. Almost certainly you would NOT get permission, though; big companies like Wal-Mart are extremely concerned about liability.

you need the agreement of the owner of the property you want to land on. if granted, you are only obliged to avoid damage or harm to third parties, and to perform the takeoff and landing with air law and JAR-OPS3 (well FAA-OPS3? for the US) in mind.

if you are state operator, there are less restrictions about where you can land, especially when flying "in public benefit", such as HEMS, SAR, or military operations.

considering the US, HEMS is provided by the private operators, and domestic military operations are illegal.

as such, the HEMS operator can land wherever necesarry, and military should require consent from the owner of the property they intend to land on.

It's illegal to block traffic, cause too much public attention and/or get in the way of someone's daily life. So assuming if you were to do so - yes.

Then again, how do I know if you are referring to the Canadian law? What if you are from Amsterdam?

Yes. Definitely if your a Med-Evac, but for civilians, only if you own it, just don't hit anything

if you're a cop and theres a hostage situation maybe